Amina-Faye Johnson: Couple whose baby daughter died with more than 60 broken bones jailed
Last updated 31st Jan 2022
A couple have been jailed after their eight-week-old baby died with more than 60 broken bones in her body.
During their police interviews, Naomi Johnson, 24, and Benjamin O'Shea, 26, claimed paramedics caused the fractures suffered by their daughter Amina-Faye - but they were found guilty by a jury of causing or allowing her to suffer serious physical harm.
Amina-Faye had 41 fractures to her ribs and 24 fractures to her limbs when she died in April 2019.
Judge Nigel Peters QC, sentencing at Inner London Crown Court, said that "sadly" this is "yet another harrowing case of parents abusing or being cruel to their child", adding that "there is no doubt that this is a case of the highest seriousness in terms of cruelty to children in terms of the injuries".
Medics could not establish a cause of death of "this poor child" and it is not possible to lay blame on which parent caused the fatal injuries and who stood back and allowed it to happen, the court heard.
The judge added that "it is remarkable in this case" that there were no signs of any fractures but the medical experts had found that the injuries were non-accidental and force needed to be applied.
O'Shea, 26, of Southwark, south-east London, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half-years for causing or allowing Amina-Faye to suffer serious physical harm while Johnson, 24, of Battersea, south west London, was jailed for seven years for this offence.
Both of them were also each given two months, to be served consecutively, after being found guilty of cruelty to a person under-16 in relation to a separate child.